Press Information Bureau Government of IndiaMinistry of Defence07-December-2015 16:42 IST

Launch Of Yard 2096

The
fifth ship of LCU MK IV project, was launched on 07 Dec 15 at an impressive
ceremony at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd, Kolkata.

The chief guest, Vice Admiral AV
Subhedar, AVSM, VSM, Chief of Material, Chairman & Managing Director
GRSE and various other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Rear
Admiral AK Verma (Retd), VSM, Chairman & Managing Director, GRSE Ltd,
commenced the proceedings with a formal welcome, which was followed by an
address by the Chief Guest.

Vice Admiral AV Subhedar asserted that the
Indian Navy has been supporting the drive for indigenous construction of
warships leading to advancement of our shipbuilding industry and acknowledged
the role of GRSE as a reliable partner in pursuing the national goal of ‘Make
in India’. He further stated that Indian Navy is eagerly looking forward towards
induction of LCU-MKIV class of ships, which would be based at Port Blair. He
extended warm felicitations to the entire team of the GRSE for their
significant contribution towards meeting the Navy’s growing requirement of
state of the art warships.

In
accordance with the traditions, invocations from Atharva Veda were recited and
Smt Rohini Subhedar, wife of Vice Admiral AV Subhedar, applied ‘Kumkum’ on the
ship’s stem. She, thereafter, named the ship as ‘LCU-L55’, wished the
ship good luck and launched the vessel.

LCU L-55 is the fifth vessel in the series
of eight Landing Craft Utility Ships being designed and built by M/s GRSE for
the Indian Navy. The ship can be deployed for multirole activities like
beaching operations, humanitarian and disaster relief operations and evacuation
from distant islands. The first ship of the class ‘LCU-L51’ was launched
on 12 Mar 14 and is presently undergoing trials at GRSE. The vessel is
likely to be delivered shortly to Indian Navy.